MCC Benefits from Becoming a FACCC Contract District

1 day ago

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By Mary Gross, FA Immediate Past President

As you may know, the Faculty Assembly, after a unanimous Council vote, entered into an agreement with the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) to become a Contract District. This means that the FA now fully funds the FACCC membership of each of its dues-paying members. But being a Contract District also comes with many more outstanding benefits that we are currently enjoying.

First, we have a seat at FACCC’s Board of Governors table. This is the body that is dedicated to representing the interests of all community college faculty and advocating to support its students. This is the body that identifies legislative and advocacy priorities . These priorities then direct the work of FACCC, providing for a unified voice at the State Capitol and even Federal level where appropriate. FACCC’s President and Executive Director coordinate advocacy actions and develop joint statements and strategy for CCCBOG meetings, legislative hearings, and stakeholder meetings at CalSTRS and other relevant agencies. Currently, I am serving as the governor representing MCC’s full time faculty. And Krista Warren, President of the MCCAAF Union, serves to represent our associate colleagues on the BOG.

FACCC also has many standing committees composed of governors as well as other faculty volunteers. These committees include Communication; Legislation & Budget; Advocacy & Leadership; Counselors; Black, Indigenous and People of Color; Part-Time Faculty; Professional Development and more. I serve on the Retirement Committee as well as the AB1705 Thinktank. Our own FA Council Member Sinar Lomeli has served on the Counselors Committee and our Board of Trustee Member Jackie Simon sits alongside me on the Retirement Committee.

Professional Development is a large part of FACCC’s work. We recently had a FACCC sponsored Retirement Workshop, bringing STRS experts to provide information about our defined benefit retirement as well as the supplemental Pension 2 option. Be sure to read dara’s article for more information. FACCC also sponsors the Great Teachers Seminars which is highly rated; its main conference Leadership, Policy, and the Profession brings hundreds of faculty together in Sacramento and culminates in faculty visits to our state legislators to advocate for our students and our profession. This year, the keynote speaker, Erwin Chemerinsky, a Dean at Berkeley Law and recognized as one of the country’s leading experts on constitutional law, civil rights, and higher education will present on the importance of Academic Freedom and having language not only codified in our Collective Bargaining Agreements but in Education Code, which has become a FACCC priority.

FACCC and its leadership also assist colleges in other ways. They have their own Political Action Committee (PAC) that vet and support candidates- from local Board of Trustee elections to state legislators- to ensure that our elected officials will be partners in our important work.

In November, FACCC’s Board of Governors meeting will take place at MiraCosta’s San Elijo campus and will include a lunch with the FA Council. We look forward to welcoming these FACCC faculty leaders from throughout the state as we work to affirm FACCC’s mission which is to inform, educate, empower, and advocate for faculty in service to students and the communities of California. Be sure to take the time to read the FACCC weekly that members receive each week to stay updated on all the important and impactful work FACCC conducts on our behalf.

Mary